Driving over 70

[Veryveryconcerned]

It took me time to decide but after getting other people’s opinions I reported an over 70 driver to the DVLA due to poor eyesight. Prior to the person’s 70th birthday they had said they were getting rid of their 3.5 tonne van as they said they would not pass the test to be able to continue driving it. The person is virtually blind in one eye and the eyesight is not good in the other. They do not get their eyes tested because they do not want to have to stop driving. My concern is the other people on the roads.
Does anyone know how long it takes and what exactly the DVLA do when they receive a report. I have reported it anonymously but it was about 8 weeks ago which is very concerning.
Am I worrying unnecessarily?

Neither you nor the OP knows what the person's eyesight is actually like though.

People say things like I'm blind in one eye, when they just mean it's all just a bit fuzzy.

I'm pretty poor without my glasses on and often say I'm blind as a bat, but my optician has told me that I am still road legal uncorrected as one eye compensates for the other.

My mum is in the UK

its not an ageist post!!

its a well know fact that the over 70,s have slower reactions, reflexes.

their vision is poorer, their muscles and joints are stiffer and they find the increase in traffic stressful.

also many are on medications which may cause drowsiness.

So agree , but the majority of collisions are in the under 25 year age group , the evidence points to the age to start driving would be 25 with heaver sight and health checks on over 70 and a new driving test for those driving suv somewhat like a bus driving test where one has a health check every few years this would cut road fatality s and stop suv going into towns and city's ruining the roads

I stay in a mainly retirement area with a large population of elderly and the driving Is shocking from all ages to be fair but I’m forever having to take evasive action with elderly drivers going 20/30 in a 60 on clear roads on clear days, braking for no reason, pulling out when I’m doing 60 and then driving at 20, not giving way at roundabouts drives me loopy

Do you have any evidence of that or is it perceived evidence?

If you think the over 70s are a danger on the roads you can check the figures; you will see the over 60s (which is a wider age group than the others) have much lower numbers of collisions, especially fatalities caused than those in their 20s and 30s.

I’m sad I know but I found the information interesting.

My 80+ year old husband has Alzheimer's and is still a good driver (I wouldn’t get in the car with him if he wasn’t). Never had or caused an accident. He does take more care nowadays when pulling out, especially roundabouts and has reduced his speed a little, maybe 10%, because he knows his reactions aren’t as good as they were 40 years ago.

Unlike a lot of drivers he knows which side of the road to drive on as soon as we drive off a ferry or the Eurotunnel.

I agree with a pp there are two issues being discussed here.

Age – the figures speak for themselves.
Medical capacity – eyesight and other health issues and I agree there are problems here and I think they are more hubris than age related. I think all Opticians and GPs should report to the DVLA if they believe a patient lacks capacity to drive.

I live on an estate with quite a lot of older drivers and also young ones. It isn’t the older drivers who come hurtling round the corners with no regard for who’s coming in the other direction, including children on bikes. Nor are they the ones who try to cut round at roundabouts rather than wait till the way is clear. Nor do they race each other on straight stretches.

Older drivers can be annoyingly slow and cautious but they aren’t reckless.

Yes we live on an estate where you don't have to look out for the BMW click under 25 s ( new law needed driving licence start age 25 to 29 for safety ) but we have to look out for electric bikes on the path and mobility scooters doing 40 mph with no licence, faster mobility scooter s are coming .

And young people should not be allowed to drive unless they are shown to be responsible adults - parents should not be organising their lessons and tests for them.
I see it so often on MN "we were up at 5am and still we couldn't get a test" if they are old enough to drive they are old enough to get their lazy arses out of bed and do it themselves.

I'm an optician and honestly, 60's / 70's are the ages people generally get cataracts, sometimes AMD, glaucoma. So no, the OP isn't being ageist, this is around the time of life eyesight can deteriorate significantly, and if you aren't getting tested you wont know.

Of course this can apply to younger people also, but just because someone is hale and sprightly doesn't mean they have good vision. Believe me, i've seen it all.

They may not be reckless but they are definitely dangerous

Potentially, but so is any driver. Regardless of age.

Definitely? That’s very sweeping!

I think that eye tests and repeat driving tests (every few years) should be enforced for over 70s. I know older people rely on their cars, but in reality, there are a lot of people who shouldn't be allowed to drive, behind the wheels of what are effectively massive weapons - there is nothing that excuses that.

Until recently my grandmother (who is disabled and can has had deteriorating vision for the past decade) had a valid license, and my husband's grandmother had several accidents (luckily with empty, parked cars) before her car was removed.

We live in an area with an older population and it's terrifying how poor the driving is - overtaking on blind corners, turning without indicators, pulling out when cars are coming, slowing to a stop completely unnecessarily. It's really just incredibly dangerous.

Well done for reporting OP.

These are two very different issues.

In my experience, and the stats seem to bear me out, are male drivers between 20 and 50.
More likely to speed, more likely to drink and believe they are brilliant drivers and invincible.

@mintydoggyv Hi William, am I allowed to PM you?

My hairdresser works in a retired area a row of shops with a large co-op. It's very popular because of the big car park. When I go there I avoid parking where all the cars with dents, scratched wing and door panels are. I've seen one driver shunt a parked car twice trying to reverse out. She didn't even get out of the car to check the damage.

What are you talking about? Plenty of people with limited walking mobility drive and are perfectly safe to. I’ll tell my friend with MS in her adapted car that she didn’t be driving because she can only walk slowly. Don’t be so ableist and ridiculous.

And I can’t believe you said that to your doctor. How fucking rude. You have no idea how many people that particular doctor reports or not.

Yes, that post makes no sense at all. His ability to walk is unrelated to his ability to stop his car.

I understand now what those notices in the reception at our medical centre are on about. A doctor shouldn’t have to listen to that rubbish.

My dad was very badly injured a few years ago when a car knocked him off his bike. Six months later the police were ready to prosecute the driver for causing injury by dangerous driving, at which point the driver suddenly produced medical evidence that they were unfit to be prosecuted due to dementia. It does call into question whether or not they should have been driving six months previously. I certainly don’t want to take away anyone’s independence unnecessarily, but the guy was lucky not to have killed my dad, my dad has some permanent damage, and it just makes me wonder if it could have been prevented if a doctor had been questioned whether or not he should have been driving before it got to the point where he seriously injured someone.

That’s shocking! The fact he had dementia should not exonerate him. How was he allowed to drive? His keys should have been confiscated. What did the Police do about it?

When you renew your car insurance, there should be a box for health and eyesight - if you cannot provide information that you are fit to drive, your premium should escalate.

There is no need for over 70s to retake their driving test. If they wish to be assessed on their competency that’s their choice. What we do need, is evidence of eye test and a health questionnaire completed when they renew their licences. It should be mandatory for GPs and opticians to inform the DVLA of any conditions affecting the patient’s driving, as some may be economical with the truth. In fact every driver should have to produce evidence of a satisfactory eye test, as health conditions, trauma etc can affect any driver of any age.

While we’re banning people from driving on the basis of their potential for causing accidents what about all the obese people
at risk of a heart attack at the wheel?

Maybe we should be checking people’s blood pressure and BMI too.

Age is not the determinant for bad driving.